John William Paterson and Johanna Catherine Diehl - my generation’s g g g granduncle and aunt

John William Paterson was born on the 20th April, 1845 in Durness, Sutherland, Scotland and came to New Zealand when he was 17 with his siblings and parents in 1862. He was the eighth child and youngest son of John Paterson and Elizabeth Douglas.

John William was a shepherd. He was likely to have been called just John, but I am referring to him as John William to distinguish him from his father. Five years after arriving in New Zealand, John William was involved in a dispute with his neighbour, Duncan Mains, the aforementioned farmer of ‘Woodlands’, and future husband of Elizabeth. John William believed his two dogs, a bitch and a pup were poisoned by Mains and sent him a bill for £25 when the dogs were found dead near a poisoned dead sheep. Mains claimed that the dogs had been worrying his sheep. A court case followed as described in a newspaper report and a follow up article in September 1867. John William’s brother George gave evidence and said at that time he was living with John William. This was highly likely to be with their parents at ‘Mussel Farm’, 291 Woodburn Road, as neither man was married at this time, and this property neighboured Duncan Mains’s property. Anyway, the case seemed to end in a bit of a stalemate, or perhaps it was the beginning of a family friendship, as the Mains family later became closely linked to the Patersons through marriage and land lease. John William even named one of his sons Neil Mains.

Advertisement placed in the North Otago Times on the 9th of July 1867, p. 3, by Duncan Mains

The names Paterson and Mains are now set in concrete alongside each other at Otepopo cemetery where George is buried. Plot 1 of Block 6 was purchased by George on the the 19th of May 1875, the very same day that Duncan purchased Plot 2. These plots are fenced together as one large plot with the names Mains and Paterson clearly labeled on the footplates. This was a year before any of the Patersons had died and two years before John Paterson died. I wonder what prompted George and Duncan’s decision? Perhaps it was just the stunning view from these plots? Sadly, in the end, no Mains family members were ever buried at Otepopo, as discussed in the post on Isabella and Duncan.

George Paterson’s family grave with the name Mains clear on the footplate.

John William married Johanna Catherine Diehl in 1878. I haven’t been able to find any more details of their wedding, however, I can confirm it was not held at the Otepopo Presbyterian church nor Knox church in Dunedin, where many of John William’s siblings had been married. Johanna was born on the 28th December 1850 in Germany. Her family had come to live in Otepopo in 1861, via Australia. She was the tenth of eleven children of Carl Johann Diehl and Johanna Catherina Rapp.

John William and Johanna’s children included:

1. John William - born on the 19th of November, 1878 in Otepopo and died on the 31st of December, 1939 Kapuni, Taranaki

2. Carl Diehl - born on the 5th of April, 1880 in Otepopo and died on the 31st of July, 1959 at Matangi, Waikato

3. Anthony George - born on the 13th of November, 1881 in Otepopo and died in 1957, at Hawera, Taranaki

4. Elizabeth - born on the 13th of February, 1883 or 1885 in Otepopo and died in 1919, at Hawera or possibly North Otago

5. Marie Stewart - born in 1885

6. Johanna Catherine - born in 1887

7. Neil Mains (Dick) - born on the 24th of February, 1888 in Otepopo and died in 1947, at Hawera, Taranaki

8. Ernest Gustav or Gustav Ernst - born on the 2nd of February, 1889, in Otepopo and died on the 13th of September, 1956, Morrinsville, Waikato

9. Alexander Stewart - born on the 1st of October, 1890, in Otepopo and died in 1970, Hawera, Taranaki

10. Douglas - born on the 14th of January, 1894, in Otepopo and died on the 7th of September, 1918, in France; buried in Hawera with his wife, Marie Stewart Paterson (1915-1949) and Douglas’s parents. I have not been able to find out anymore about Marie Stewart at this stage.

Detail of the Crown Grants Map for Otepopo, showing sections 67 (with 179R being the red line) and 68 of Block 6

John William’s farm was the freehold sections 67, 68 & 179R of Block 6, Otepopo, and was approximately 82 acres in size. On the original the Crown Grant Survey map of 1861, the name ‘Anderson’ is on section 68. There appears to be no name on section 67, the red line of which is 179R. According to the Waitaki District Council rate records, John William was at this property for the ten years from approximately 1884 to 1895. This property is in the vicinity of what is now known as 94 Frew’s Road, slightly north and inland from John senior’s property, between what is now state highway one and the railway line.

One disadvantage of being located relatively close to the railway and main road, was that one morning in 1887, John William awoke to find a stack of 100 sacks of oats burnt. He suspected someone had slept in his straw, accidentally starting the fire, likely a swagger. This must have been at a huge expense to John William, as he had no insurance, and he had also recently suffered a loss of a lot of grain due to high winds. A more positive story form John William’s farm was his sale of 9 yearlings at 15s 6d and store cows for various prices in 1890.

Advertisement placed in the Oamaru Mail, 23 January, 1888 p. 3

John William was involved in the Otepopo Rifle Volunteers with his brothers George and Anthony. John William was a very good shot and competition leader, working his way up the ranks. By 1877, John William was Sergeant, and later held the position of Lieutenant. John William was elected as Captain in 1887. In his acceptance speech he declared he had come to the meeting quite determined to refuse to accept the position, but if the company unanimously wished to appoint him, he would do his best to perform his duty to their satisfaction. Various newspaper reports and advertisements for parades, inspections, halts to drills due to harvesting and competitions clearly state John William was Captain of the Otepopo Rifles through to 1888 and 1889. John William resigned from the Otepopo Rifles as Captain in 1889.

John William was articulate as evidenced in his 1883 letter to the editor regarding the tug of war event. He took an interest in several sports as well as tug of war. He won first prize in quoits at the Otepopo Athletic Sports in January 1875 and again in 1879 at the Good Templar Lodge Picnic. He is also mentioned in an article on quoiting at the Caledonian Games in 1877. John William is listed as holding a fishing licence during 1892-93 and won a fishing competition with seven fish weighing 4lbs 5oz, on the Kakanui in 1887.

John William was involved in the School Committee with his brother Anthony as noted in 1881and 1882. Like Anthony and George, he was often called upon to chair meetings such as the Court of Hope Ancient Order of Foresters in 1877 and a residents’ meeting in 1884.

Letter to the Editor by John William Paterson, North Otago Times, 11 January, 1883

On Tuesday the 10th of September, 1895, John William and Johanna offered their property for sale. The advertisement for the sale described the farm as 82 acres, all in grass, ‘very conveniently situated’ to the road and the railway, with a ‘never failing’ supply of water. The improvements included a house of six rooms and other buildings. The stock offered for sale included; 8 first class dairy cows, 2 yearling steers, 1 Ayshire bull, 5 draught horses and 1 hack, suitable for saddle or harness. Farm implements were; 1 set of 6 leaf harrows, 1 farm dray, 1 swing plough, blocks and chains, 2 reapers and binders and a lot of harness. There were also 300 bushels of feed oats for sale. The property was reported as being sold to Mr George Ledingham ‘as agent’ for £6 per acre in September 1895.

John William and Johanna moved to Taranaki. I wonder what prompted their move? I have not been able to find a reason as yet. Their entire family probably spent the rest of their lives in the North Island as they all died there.

Towards the end of their lives, John William and Johanna lived in the town of Hawera. John William died in the 13th September, 1923 at 78 years old in Hawera, Taranaki. His death notice notes his address as 46 Collins Street, Hawera, Taranaki. Johanna died on the 3rd August in 1926 at the age of 75. They are both buried together in Plot 1733 in Hawera Cemetery.

John William’s and Johanna’s headstone in Hawera, Taranaki